Nikabrik's Triumph
by Vanzetti
Summary: Alternative timeline of "Prince Caspian". Point of divergence: Peter, Edmund and Trumpkin enter Aslan's How five minutes later than in the book, and cannot prevent Nikabrik from bringing Jadis back to life. From there, it can only get worse. And it will.
1. Chapter 1: Late By Five Minites

_It begins during the events of "Prince Caspian"._

**LATE BY FIVE MINUTES**

Peter, Edmund, and Trumpkin enter Aslans How five minutes later than in the book. Just late enough to witness Jadis come back to life.

The ensuing fight around the Stone Table ends in a stalemate, because while Jadis is weakened by her long absence and doesnt have her wand or her knife, she still can pick people up and throw them at the walls, and her physical toughness makes her very hard to harm.

More Old Narnians arrive to the hall, but among the first to arrive are the Black Dwarfs, having heard the calls of Nikabrik. They are a minority, but they are well organised. Meanwhile, many other Narnians are unsure who to support. For them, both Peter, Edmund, and the White Witch, are characters from legends. Talking Beasts, of course, are mostly against Jadis (because the legends they know depict her as evil), but others (fauns, minotaurs etc.) are divided.

It quickly gets very crowded in the Hall, and as actual fighting becomes nearly impossible, it turns into a battle of insults, with both sides trying to shout each other down. Peter and Caspian become hesitant to urge their supporters to keep fighting, as they realize that it will leave no one to fight Miraz.

Outside, meanwhile, it begins to snow, as the force unleashed by the unplanned return of Jadis starts to mess up with the world. The snow is seen both in the Miraz camp and by Aslan, Lucy and Susan, as well as by the whole host of Bacchus and the awakening trees. Bacchus, maenads and the rest of the Bacchanalia are utterly confused, as they react directly to the Deep Magic, and what is happening is clearly wrong. Some of the become increasingly wild, others turn to Aslan with questions. At this moment, however, the trees that were on the side of Jadis during her rule awake as well, and attack the Host. Chaotic fighting erupts between the trees, that will later sweep through the forests of Narnia and continue for many months.

Aslan then roars, sending everybody around him, but the Pevensie sisters, fleeing in terror. His roar also stops the snow. It becomes heavy rain, that will continue to fall for a very long time. Aslan then tell Lucy and Susan that they must return to their world and bring back heroes more worthy than those that are currently in the Aslans How, because what they are going to do will bring Narnia even more woes than Telmarines did.

Susan, however, cant bring herself to separate both for Narnia and her brothers, and runs away in tears, heading back to the mound. Lucy tries to stop her, but unable to, and as she turns to Aslan for help, she discovers that he is gone. Lucy then runs after her sister.

In the Aslans How, the situation deteriorates. Jadis, with Nikabrik and their supporters, are surrounded in the inner part of the Hall, but hold a very defensible position around the Stone Table. Both side fear that Telmarines may attack the mound in any minute. Reepicheep tried to slip between the legs of the Black Dwarfs and kill Jadis, and she now holds him hostage, which certaintly doesnt help to calm the spirits.


	2. Chapter 2: Handshake Of Doom

**HANDSHAKE OF DOOM**

Telmarine camp is in a turmoil. They barely came to accept the existance of Old Narnians, and now much wierder things happen around them. First the snow that turned into a downpour, then walking trees. Most trees ignore the Telmarines, as they are too busy fighting each other, but a few attack them. The trees are dealt with, but not without inflicting some casualities and making the soldiers really lose their nerve. Miraz decides to retreat towards Beruna and, once his army gets to an open place, to start torching the forest.

Lucy and Susan arrive at Aslan's How, and the situation hits the rocky bottom. Susan tries to shoot Jadis, but is prevented by Nikabrik, who attempts to defend Jadis and hit by an arrow in his chest (not that one arrow would hurt Jadis much). As Nikabrik is dying, Jadis says that the opposite party drew the first blood, and so they are the real villians. She then threatens to kill Reepicheep if the opposite party won't surrender immediately. The opposite party obviously don't agree and Jadis promptly strangles Reepicheep. As both sides are ready to start fighting again, Lucy climbs on the Stone Table and shouts them to stop. She then shows them her Gift – the bottle of potion, and says that she can heal both Reepicheep and Nikabrik, and so there is no need to fight.

Jadis is dissatisfied with this proposal, because Nikabrik is an encumbrance for her, but the rest of her supporters want Nikabrik to live, so she can't show it. She claims, instead, that bringing them back to life won't change anything, because both parties still are willing to kill each other.

Lucy then proposes a truce, until a victory over Miraz. Edmund says that she has lost her mind, because the White Witch can't be trusted to hold her word. Lucy asks Jadis if she can guarantee that she won't betray them, and Jadis quite truthfully answers that she can't. She says, however, that as Nikabrik instigated her return, she is bound by the Deep Magic not do anything that may harm him. Doctor Cornelius confirms that he indeed knows about this law of the Deep Magic, having read about it in some ancient scrolls.

Lucy asks the dying Nikabrik if he will promise to hold the truce. Nikabrik nods. As breaking his word will harm the dwarf's honor, Lucy decides it is enough, and asks Jadis if she will agree to make truce. Jadis says she will, but someone will need to shake hands with her in order to seal the agreement. No one from Caspian's side volunteers, but no one contradicts Lucy either, as they don't see any other way out of it.

And so, Lucy Pevensie and Jadis of Charn shake hands over the body of dying Nikabrik that lies on the Stone Table, in an event that later will be called the "Handshake of Doom" by both parties. One direct consequence of it is that Pevensies are now stuck in Narnia, as no one is going to open a door for them.

After the handshake, Lucy proceeds to heal Nikabrik and Reepicheep. As she does so, a mighty earthquake begins, and both sides rush out. Just as they leave the Aslan's How, the tunnels collapse, burying the Stone Table.


	3. Chapter 3: Dead Night

**DEAD NIGHT**

Outside of Aslan's How, Narnians discover that Telmarine troops are not in sight. It is raining and quite cold. As most of their provision and equipment is now buried, Caspian decides to establish a temporary camp and send scouts, and then to start moving out. Nikabrik's party does the same.

While both parties are busy, Jadis manages to evade the other side from watching her for a minute, and approaches Nikabrik. She asks him to take a napkin and to spit on it. Nikabrik realizes the idea behind this and does so. Jadis now has a sample of Lucy's Gift, and it goes unnoticed by the other side.

Caspian's side have more troubles. Reepicheep gathers his mice companions and declares that they aren't going to stay with those who cooperate with the White Witch. Lucy and Caspian try to talk to him, but he rebukes Caspian angrily and completely ignores Lucy, as if she doesn't exist. Reepicheep and his mice leave. Later this day, more people are going to leave to join him, including the badger Trufflehunter and several centaurs.

Scouts return, having discovered that Telmarine's camp is deserted, as well as the town of Beruna. Beruna is strewn with corpses, mostly belonging to the members of the host of Bacchus and awakened trees, but some dead Telmarine soldiers are also there. The forest beyond Beruna is burning. Army of Miraz and people of Beruna apparently retreated back to the capital, after fighting in and around Beruna.

Narnians move towards the camp of Miraz. They pick the equipment Telmarines left behind. Jadis proposes to move into Beruna, which is deserted. Caspian and Pevensies aren't eager to sleep in someone elses houses, but they need to find food and keep an eye on Jadis, so Caspians party also moves in.

Meanwhile, as his army keeps on torching the forests around the capital, Miraz sends envoys to the king of Archenland. Telmarine used to have quite cold relationships with Anvard, but at the moment Miraz first priority is to get rid of all the fiends that appeared in his country.

In Beruna, both parties put people on guard duty and organize a crew to bury the bodies. Jadis retires to an inn, leaving Nikabrik to govern the party as he wishes. However, during the night, several of the freshest corpses, instead of being buried, will secretly find their way into the icehouse in the inns cellar. Jadis isn't interested much in the healing properties of Lucy's potion. She just wants to raise the dead.

During the night, she also sends a small group of scouts to try and connect with other dark Narnians that may be found in the area. This group won't fare well, however, as before sunrise they are all ambushed and slain by Reepicheep and his peers.


	4. Chapter 4: Council

**COUNCIL**

_Late evening. House of Mayor of Beruna. Council hall. Pevensies, Caspian, Cornelius and Trumpkin are present._

Edmund: Well, you should have gone with him! What were you thinking?

Susan: What, and to leave you here? And what was I supposed to say to our parents? That you are in another world, probably already dead?

Edmund: Who told you you were ever supposed to go to London?!

Susan: I don't know! Where else? I barely got accustomed to living in England again, then we were pulled to here again, and now I must go back? Alone?

Edmund: Jesus, Susan, it is not about you! Lots of people here can die because of that! You had to do what Aslan told you!

_Susan starts to cry. Caspian pats her on the shoulder._

Caspian: Edmund, stop harassing you sister. I don't want to lose anybody else in my party. It is bad enough without Reepicheep.

Trumpkin: Trufflehunter is gone with them, too. He left me a note.

Caspian: There you go. We need to keep an advantage over Nikabrik if we are to ever get out of this mess.

Edmund: How can we? Truce with the White Witch… it's like making a deal with Satan.

Cornelius: Who is Satan?

Edmund: Never mind. Lucy, why did you do it? Of all the people, I would never expect you to…

Peter: Ed, you are doing it again.

Lucy: My hand hurts.

Peter: What??

_Everybody is looking at Lucy._

Lucy: Feels a little stiff. She has a strong grip.

Trumpkin: She couldn't put some spell on you, by any chance?

Lucy (ignoring Trumpkin): I didn't want you to die. Any of you. What else could I do, Edmund?

Edmund: Nothing. You should stay behind. Cure the wounded with your Gift.

Peter: Ed, this potion can't cure dead people. And I don't think Lucy have enough left, anyway.

Edmund: We had more than twice their numbers. We could win.

Susan: They had more people with bows. And a better position. And the Witch. We'd all die there, us and them.

Edmund: Okay, but we didn't have to fight them there, right? We could retreat and hold them inside.

Trumpkin: The hall had three exits. If we tried to hold them all, they'd pile on one of them and break out easily. And even suppose we won, there would be too few of us left to fight Miraz.

Edmund: Miraz raised the siege!

Trumpkin: And how Lucy was supposed to know about it? We had no idea until we got out of the Aslan's How!

Caspian: Please, stop shouting. Edmund got one point. Lucy and Susan were supposed to bring help. Aslan, maybe. Now at least we aren't besieged, but got no reinforcement either. The trees awoke, but Cornelius thinks they are mad. Do you think Aslan may yet come?

Lucy: No.

Caspian: Why?

Lucy: I… don't know. That's just what I feel. Maybe we didn't do something we were supposed to.

Edmund: Yes, like fighting the battle. We were supposed to do it. This is war, Lucy. People die in war. I thought we all know that, we got one back home.

Lucy: So I should just let Reepicheep die there in Jadis hand?

Edmund: You shouldn't interfere at all! War is not for children.

Peter: Damn, Edmund, Lucy is not any more child then you are! We were all adults in Narnia. And you are almost her age anyway, so will you stop it already?

Lucy: No, Peter, Ed is right. I don't feel like I felt back then. I don't feel like adult at all. It's like it was all a dream. But I can't accept it, Edmund.

Edmund: Accept what?

Lucy: That most of you were supposed to die to make Aslan come. I can't accept it. He wouldn't do it.

Edmund: Well, I think you are wrong. He is not here.

_Lucy closes her eyes. It seems like she is praying._

Cornelius: May I suggest that we drop that line of conversation? Whatever was done cannot be undone. If we want to get rid of the White Witch, we will have to do it ourselves. Of course, we still have Miraz to consider.

Edmund: No, wait a minute, I haven't finished yet. Aslan said Lucy and Susan were to go and bring someone else here. Well, maybe they still can go. The way we entered Narnia the first time may still be open.

Susan: I'm not going anywhere without you.

Edmund: Lucy?

Lucy: I… I don't know, Ed. Like you said, how can we know we need to go to London? Maybe they are in Australia. Or in Berlin.

Trumpkin: There is a way to your world in Narnia?

Peter: There was. In Lantern Waste. Right by the Lantern itself, in fact.

Trumpkin: Lantern Waste is a long way from here…

Peter: I'm not proposing to go there right now.

Edmund: I'm not proposing we go there either, it's not what Aslan said. I asked Lucy if she wants to go there.

Peter: By the Lion's Mane! Did you lose your mind, Edmund? You want her to go the alone?

Edmund: No, someone should accompany her…

Peter: Stop it. Nobody from this party is going to Lantern Waste. Not until we are sure we can get there safely. That's an order, Edmund. The forests are full with evil trees, and there can be Telmarines around. Or supporters of Jadis.

_Edmund folds his hands and falls silent. _

Trumpkin: Yes, let's talk about those. Nikabrik and his dwarfs occupied the big inn. Jadis is inside, and no one of ours saw her exit yet. I tried to enter, but they didn't let me.

Peter: We need to discuss two things. First, will they hold the truce? And second – should we hold it?

Cornelius: How much do you know about Black Dwarfs, High King?

Peter: Not as much as I would like to. They were always a seclusive bunch.

Cornelius: Well, my mother was a Black Dwarf. Oaths are very important to them... to us. If you ask my judgement, Nikabrik will hold the truce to the letter, if it depends on him.

Caspian: But does it? Doctor, are you sure the White Witch is bound to not harm Nikabrik?

Cornelius: Yes, I'm pretty sure. I'm a very mediocre wizard, but I know Deep Magic when I see it. It has laws that cannot be broken.

Peter: You are our best authority on this matter, Doctor, and we will trust you. But no magic is bonding us. We could attack the inn right now and try to kill her. Wimbleweather can help us, now that we are in the open area. If we succeed, I think at least some of those who support her will return to our side.

Cornelius: There might be a problem with this plan, High King.

Peter: What do you mean?

Cornelius: As I said, I'm only a mediocre wizard, and never pretended to know all the laws of Deep Magic. But I saw a mention in one of my book… Something about creating a loop of bonding, in a context of physical touch.

Peter: I don't understand you, Doctor.

Cornelius: Basically, I think that killing the White Witch, while the truce holds, will harm Lucy.

Susan: Because they shake hands?

Cornelius: Yes.

_Peter throws his head back and exhales audibly._

Peter: This is so messed up… All right, then we will have to play by their rules for a while.

Trumpkin: May I suggest something?

Peter: Sure, D.L.F.

Trumpkin: We need to compose a list of those who are on Nikabrik's side.

Caspian: Ain't it kind of obvious, who's on which side?

Trumpkin: It is obvious now, your majesty, when we just faced each other. But there are people on the other side whom I considered friends until today. Maybe still consider. And it's the same thing with almost anyone on our side. So, what if some of them will come to us later and say they changed their minds? We will accept them, and some of them could be sent by the Witch.

Peter: So what do you propose, not to let them come back? I don't like this idea.

Trumpkin: No, your majesty. I propose we keep an eye of them. I don't think we can truly trust anyone from their side while the White Witch is alive.

Peter: I see. You are right, D.L.F.

Caspian: We still need to decide what we are going to do. Should Miraz decide to attack now, Beruna can't be defended by our forces. We haven't seen the Witch doing something extraordinary today. She is very strong and tough, but so is our giant. Unless she comes up with something new, we are almost in the same position as we were yesterday.

Edmund: You doubt she will come up with something new?

Caspian: I don't know. You are those who defeated her thousand years ago, not me. What could she do back then?

_Edmund blushes._

Edmund: Well, beyond the fact that she could keep Narnia in a state of winter for a century… She had a wand that could turn people to stone. And many evil creatures at her command.

Caspian: That's all?

Peter: Truth is, we don't know. She did not use anything else during the Battle of Beruna.

Cornelius: There might be something about her abilities in the old narnian legends. I will check my books.

Susan: She could conjure magical food and drink. Addicting food…

Edmund: Yes, that too. We must make sure no one from our side takes any food from Nikabrik's people.

Trumpkin: She probably can control the weather. Look how it rains since she appeared.

Peter: It is useless to try and guess what Jadis can or can't do. We will just have to wait and see. D.L.F, can you talk to the guards about food?

Trumpkin: Of course.

Peter: Then we should adress two more things before we close this council. Some of us really need to go to sleep. The walking trees. Getting them on our side will give us great advantage. Girls, you were there when they awoke. You have any idea what happened?

Susan: I told you already. The other trees awoke and attacked us. I never saw them when we ruled Narnia. Perhaps Aslan meant for them to sleep forever. Then they started fighting like mad. Aslan roared and…

_Susan sobs._

Lucy: I tried to talk to them, but they won't answer. Just like Reepicheep.

Peter: Can you try again tomorrow, Lu?

Lucy: Okay.

Peter: Now, what about those strange people we glimpsed in the forest? Host of Bacchus, you said, Susan? It looks like they attacked Telmarine soldiers here in Beruna. We may find an ally in them.

Trumpkin: No, your majesty. They didnt attack Telmarine soldiers, they attacked humans. We discovered several bodies inside the houses. All civilians, as far as I can tell. Including two little children.

Susan: What?! How could it be their doing?

Trumpkin: We found the same kind of daggers on the belts of dead maenads and in the bodies of those murdered humans. You know, friends, I'm not Cornelius or Nikabrik, but I have heard a few legends about those people. What was Aslan thinking, bringing them here?

Lucy: I don't think he intended to let them loose. Something went wrong.

Trumpkin: So much for intentions…

Edmund: You meet Aslan today! You still doubt him?!

Trumpkin: At this point? After what happened in the How? I think I doubt everyone and everything, but the people who sit here with me. You at least saved me from drowning, and that's something real. Although I feel that I may yet regret that I didn't die back there.


End file.
